Friday 2/18/11

Susan was one of Karen's roommates when Karen was in nursing school, and Susan was in dental hygiene school. After graduation, Susan spent 2 years in Switzerland working as a hygienist, and when she returned she brought home a souvenir named Urs.  Since then, we have met with Susan and Urs in Waco every year for Baylor Homecoming, we have visited in each other's homes in Texas, Wyoming, and New Jersey, we have vacationed together (Urs got speeding tickets on 2 of these trips), we have skied with them (Urs got 2 speeding tickets on the slopes of Steamboat Springs with threats to revoke his lift pass - really, no joke), and we have changed each other's kid's diapers.  Susan and Urs seem more like family than friends.  Their son, Corbin, was recently accepted to Baylor where he will attend on an engineering scholarship.  Their daughter, Hamby, gave up her bedroom and slept on the sofa to accommodate Karen and Cam (thanks Hamby!).

After Susan's 5:15a Boot Camp Class, Susan and Karen and Cam each went for runs of 2.5 or 3 or 4 miles.  Urs was at work, so after the run, Susan and Karen and Cam walked 2.5 miles to have breakfast tacos at Taqueria Vallarta, then walked 2.5 miles back home to shower.  Susan drove us around Cam's old neighborhood in Alamo Heights where Cam attended 2nd-5th grade at Cambridge Elementary, then we went to the San Antonio Riverwalk for another walk (have you noticed, yet, that Susan really likes to walk?). We also walked around "The Pearl" which used to be The Pearl Beer Brewery. Years ago the Pearl Brewery was a very popular site for school field trips because it had a wildlife museum serving as home to hundreds of stuffed animals, chairs made out of cow horns, costumed fleas, etc.. The Pearl is now a collection of upscale restaurants and shops, and it is also the location of the Culinary Institute of America from which Susan graduated a few years ago. 

Cam's Elementary School

607 College Blvd - Cam's old house

New section of the San Antonio River Walk

Urs met us for lunch at Jacala, a great Tex-Mex restaurant, then we kept the Latino theme going by pinata-shopping at a store specializing in trinkets and treasures from Mexico. Having been born and raised in San Antonio, Susan was an expert guide and narrator for our driving tour of the city.

No, we didn't actually buy any boots this time.

Hamby was sleeping over at a friend's house tonight, so she missed a great traditional Swiss meal prepared by our own personal professional chef, Susan.  She served cream of asparagus soup, sauer-braten, spaetzle, a trio of Swiss salads (beet, carrot, green), and a very non-Swiss dessert - whiskey bread pudding. Corbin regaled us with stories his parents may not have wanted to know, but that kept all of us laughing.

After dinner we bid reluctant goodbyes, loaded the truck, and headed northeast to Smithville.

We drove 99 miles today.